Hi there!!!
I seem to be constantly apologizing for my late posts, but I found myself not well during the weekend. It seems winter here in London wants to make its grand entrance before time. Still, we have enjoyed a few, rare sunny days, despite the chilly weather. The beautiful autumn colors make up for it. I do love this time of year, when Christmas begins to fill the air. Walking around, layered up, drinking hot chocolate...gotta love this time of year.
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| Busy kitchen, no? |
Anyhow, we left off with the beginning of the Boulangerie Module. WOW. I don't think I have ever made so much bread as we did during this past week. Baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, pain campagne, rye bread, pain complet, brioche, ciabattas, kugelhoff, pain supris...so much bread!!! It is rather peaceful to work with bread, but it's a pain when you have to carry it all home. Three days baking, baking, baking. On the third day we had our very first assessment: making a proper brioche. It consists of a round body and smaller round dough on the top, which should remain in the center properly when both, proving and baking. Mine ended looking like a duck pecking for food, but we all sighed in relief when he announced we all passed. During this last class, we also finished off the pain surpris. It is basically a dough which we molded into an alligator (mind you, mine looks like a prehistoric one...), baked and then carved out the insides. We turned these into finger sandwiches. It is quite a popular thing to do in France, for dinner parties and whatnot.
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| Pain campagne, kugelhoff, baguettes, pain supris, croissants and pain au chocolat |
Friday came and went by in a flash. I made a yogurt cake for one of my dearest friends as his birthday was Saturday and was only too happy to see the cake had set. It was a first time thing, and very much an experiment, so when I removed the ring I had a smile from ear to ear. Instead of dinner, he decided for a lunch reunion, so we headed to Nopi for a birthday lunch celebration. Just before leaving, I cooked the blueberry sauce that was to accompany the cake and made my way to the place. I had never been and let me tell you, the food was spectacular. Composed of middle eastern and a mediterranean fusion, each plate was a flavor bomb. Delicious!!! The plates are quite small, so we shared starters and each ordered a main dish, which we shared as well. I ordered the pan fried duck breast. It came with red quinoa and a yummy sauce. I was much taken with Youssef's butternut squash rotolo, so definitely going back to order it myself.
Interested? Check it out:
NOPI
| 21-22 Warwick Street London W1B 5NE |
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| Smoked Ricotta Rotolo, with Butternut Squash and Pecan Pesto |
We all commented on the fact that we never go out for casual lunches, as it is usually dinners what we do. Lunches are much better. It's a fact. Lunch was over, the table was cleared, our wine glasses empty and along came the cake with 26 lovely angel flames (honestly, they're BEAUTIFUL!!!) and we sang Happy Birthday to our friend.
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| Yogurt Cake with Blueberries and Raspberries |
The cake was cut and served alongside the blueberry sauce which turned out quite nice. The lightness of the cake paired nicely with the tangy sweetness of the sauce. Victor said it was like eating a cloud. I definitely took as a compliment. I was greatly pleased to see Youssef happy as he said he was going to challenge me with his cake. It didn't disappoint, and I guess, neither did I. I must recommend this as a dessert. It is light and not overly sweet; something you'd wish to eat after a nice meal. A big thank you to blogger Monika of BakeNoir and her amazing recipe. If interested, please check it out and her other work as well.
Bake Noir
I tweaked the recipe a bit, by adding raspberries, but I think that the nature of the cake allows for any substitutions.
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| Victor: "It's like eating a cloud" Yes...it's that good :p |
It was a rainy Saturday, chilly, and we walked around the center of London, clutching our jackets close. It got darker and we popped in the Longitude lounge at Le Meridien Hotel, and surprisingly, few people had ordered proper, alcoholic drinks. We joined the majority when we ordered hot beverages, to accompany the weather. The evening passed by in a bliss and we bid the birthday boy a goodbye.
Sunday morning I woke up feeling worse, with a sore throat and body aches. Saskia and I headed to the Camden Market after a long absence and we enjoyed a scrumptious pork sandwich with applesauce and sweet chili. After a nice lunch, we headed to Camden's Leya's where the atmosphere is great and homely and we enjoyed a cup of tea. As Daylight Saving's Time had come to an end just before dawn, by 5 pm, the sky was black. Nighttime had come and I found myself in bed quite early, not ready in the least to meet Monday morning happily.
It came in earnest but thankfully I was feeling better. This week we are working with plated desserts on the Restaurant Module so let's see how it goes. In the meantime, enjoying baking and eating while I head home and make use of the yogurt and blueberries in the fridge.
Today's special
Blueberry Lemon Loaf.
Yummy? I think so!!!
So I wish you all a lovely Tuesday and I shall come back next week with more adventures here in London and the culinary world.
Until next time
xx
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